Vegetable Garden 2013: Planning the garden

Finally spring has sprung in Chicago and I was able to, at least, sow the seeds for the greens in my vegetable garden. Going back to my old posts, I notices, I sow the seeds for greens in mid March last year. This year, I could do it on April 9th. I had some leftover seeds from last year. The rest, I got from Natural Gardening Company. I’ve been using them since I’ve started my veggie gardens. I really like their seeds and prices.

As usual, I drew the layout of my garden in grids and planned, what I am going to sow and plant where. You can read my Planning the vegetable garden layout post from last year for further details. This year, for greens I have:

Spinach

Green Kale (Winterbor)

Flowering Kale (Red Russian)

Broccoli

Swiss Chard

Arugula

Purslane

Romaine

Lettuce

Spring Mix

Dill

Italian Parsley (this one comes back out by itself)

My son helped me mix the existing soil with soil from the compost bin and aerate with the garden weasel cultivator, that our neighbor lent us. You can see the old composter does not stay closed anymore. It splits open at the sides. So I am looking for a good size tumbler composter to replace this one now. I got this composter from Home Depot 3, maybe 4, years ago. It has been working fine. Especially in the last 2 years, turnover was pretty good, but the plastic seems to be bent and sides does not stay connected.

All the seeds sown and marked the names of each plant with kids’ craft sticks and digipen.

Later during the week, my son kept on playing in the rest of the garden where we plant tomatoes, peppers and egglants. Until May 18, Kilbourn Park Organic Plant sale, this area is open for muddy play.

After the snow on the second week of April, this poor crocus trying to decide whether to bloom or not. This year’s cold and rainy spring, messed my early spring bulbs. Barely any crocuses and hyacinths bloomed properly.

Comments

Go you! I can’t wait to see how your garden does. I haven’t started my seeds yet, mostly because I had a first communion this past Saturday with a huge party here (people + seedlings = bad mix) and ummm my weeds need to be killed first. Today, I put down a TON of landscape fabric so that I can burb those babies dead before I plant. I think this is the week to get my act together and start those seeds though!

Good luck! If you can find that weasel cultivator tool, it’s great for getting out the weeds as well. Fabric is a great idea as well. I do not start any seeds indoors anymore. My house doesn’t get a lot of sunlight so my seedlings always come out really weak. I always buy them from the Kilbourn Park (in the city) organic plant sale. This year, its May 18-19. FYI.

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I am a mother of two and a type of person who you would call “Jack of all trades, master of none”. As you might guess from categories, I love my children, reading, sewing, gardening, traveling and cooking. I also work full time so I have to be practical to do all the things I want to do in a 24-hr-day. More About Me